A KU professor, in Chronicle of Higher Education, pokes fun at an out-of-work Obama

Within hours of President Barack Obama leaving the White House on Friday morning, The Chronicle of Higher Education was already having a little fun trying to find a new job for the old University of Chicago Law School professor.

In an article about Obama’s curriculum vitae that questioned, tongue-in-cheek, whether it was up to par enough for him to be hired at a top university, the Chronicle asked a University of Kansas law professor his opinion.

Stephen R. McAllister, who is also a former KU dean, took a look at Obama’s resume and was asked to consider it as if the person submitting it had not been the president of the United States of America. McAllister was also told to have a little fun with his comments.

McAllister told the Chronicle that Obama’s almost-nonexistent record of legal writing would raise concerns about his academic chops.

“A sample exam and syllabus from years ago,” McAllister said, “provide no comfort that he is committed to producing top-quality legal scholarship.”

Also, McAllister made mention that Obama, a Harvard Law School grad, is 55 years old. “Even if he’s capable of top-flight work, a hiring committee might wonder if he’s hungry enough to do it.

“We have always been wary of candidates who apply for a position either mid- or late-career, because we worry they are simply seeking to ‘retire’ to academia.”

The chronicle also took the liberty of updating Obama’s resume for him.

This story was originally published January 20, 2017 at 5:59 PM with the headline "A KU professor, in Chronicle of Higher Education, pokes fun at an out-of-work Obama."